No. 13 Texas turns back TCU as healthy Longhorns try to find winning rhythm again

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AUSTIN, Texas — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued this note for those recovering from COVID-19 or those who have been vaccinated.

“You may have some side effects,” the CDC said on its website, “which are normal signs that your body is building protection.”

Would going 5-for-35 from 3-point range at Oklahoma State count as a side effect? What about allowing a 5-15 Kansas State team to shoot 51%?

The 13th-ranked Longhorns have traveled an unorthodox, quarantined road since battling COVID-19 as a team in late January and early February. But Saturday’s 70-55 win over TCU looked impressive, almost as if Texas is back to full strength — and just in time for the stretch run, too.

“Yes. Give you a simple answer. Yes,” Texas guard Matt Coleman III said. “With the games being played, with the practices that we’ve had, it allowed us to reconnect and focus on each other and understand our circle — that’s what we call it — of why we play and the process in order to win.”

The Longhorns (13-5, 7-4 Big 12) have a big week ahead. Texas plays at No. 12 Oklahoma on Tuesday, at Iowa State on Thursday and then back home to face No. 14 West Virginia next Saturday. The NCAA Tournament selection committee has UT as a No. 4 seed in its first mock bracket, which was unveiled Saturday.

Coach Shaka Smart said he’s always focused on the team’s collective spirit. What is the mood? Are the players engaged or not? “I felt like today, for the first time in quite a while, that was kind of where we want it to be,” Smart said.

He even texted with a friend immediately afterward and told him, “Man, I wish there was some formula to just make that happen every time.”

Andrew Jones was maniacal going to the rim and finished with a team-high 19 points. Coleman had 15 points and four assists, although it felt like more the way he directed traffic. And Greg Brown had one of his best games in a while, ringing up 13 points, six rebounds and no technical fouls. 

When asked what he’s learned from two technicals in the previous three games, Brown said, “Don’t get ’em. After the dunk today, I was like, ‘Great, don’t look at the dude.’ ”

The talented freshman is learning. Like Smart says, the game is far more fun when you lose yourself in the fight to win. 

“There was one time, it was mid-second half, I looked up and was like, ‘Bro, what is the score?,’ ” Brown said. “Yeah, I was having so much fun out there, I didn’t even know what the score was.”

TCU (11-8, 4-6) had all its fun early. RJ Nembhard started out with 10 quick points, all of them coming on four consecutive possessions.

One of the most talented big men in the Big 12 — Kevin Samuel — was 0-for-1 in the first half and scored one lonely point via free throw. He finished with three points and three rebounds. Credit UT’s Jericho Sims for a strong game defensively. 

Texas broke open a four-point game in the second half by attacking the rim. Along the way, the Longhorns turned up the defensive pressure. The Horned Frogs went 1-for-9 shooting during a critical stretch in the second half.

“I think we just had a lot of fun,” Coleman said. “At the end, I just think our foundation was the defensive end, playing with pace on the offensive end and just having that fun, playing with that swagger.”

And yes, these Longhorns will need the defense, hustle and five fouls provided by Royce Hamm Jr. He did not play against TCU, perhaps a punitive move by Smart caused by the senior’s Twitter outburst after Tuesday’s win at Kansas State. Smart did not address his status during the post-TCU Zoom call.

Still, the Horns are again trending in the right direction. Here in mid-February, that’s probably all anyone can hope for in this wild, unpredictable pandemic season.

“I thought all 11 (of) our guys were really engaged in the game,” Smart said. “And our team spirit was better than it’s been for quite a while.”

Follow Brian Davis on Twitter @BDavisAAS